


come in, stay with me

by extensive_scribe



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Neighbors, a lot of fluff, baekhyun is a smiley lil bean, hacker!Jongdae, photographer!Baekhyun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-06-26
Packaged: 2020-05-13 06:38:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19245838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/extensive_scribe/pseuds/extensive_scribe
Summary: Kim Jongdae is a reclusive hacker who hardly believes in the magic of the world anymore. The background of his life fades to gray and he never leaves his apartment room, until a new neighbor comes into the building and wakes him up with songs and bright smiles, reminding him of the beauty he'd forgotten about.





	come in, stay with me

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt Petal 73

There’s a new resident in room 208.

And he’s strange, to say the least.

Jongdae first sees him holding onto a small box, standing in the middle of a cluster of bigger paper boxes, his pink hair donning at least two paint stains and his arms clustered by whole constellations of messy color. When he turns Jongdae swears there’s a white stroke under his left eye but the lighting is making it hard to tell.

Upon realizing that Jongdae’s there, the boy’s eyes widen and he abandons the grip he’d had on the box with one hand, using it to wave at him. There are even more paint stains on his palms, a camera hanging low on his neck.

“Hi,” he exclaims, voice jittery and excited. “Are you my neighbor? I knew I had someone near my age on this floor but I guess I’m lucky you live right next door!” Jongdae blinks. This is an overload. So many words, so much sound all at once. It’s bizarre to be faced with it after years of solitude and recluse but the boy plows on, undeterred. “My name’s Byun Baekhyun, it’s so nice to meet you!”

Jongdae thinks the worst part of it is that he looks so genuine while he says it. Like it’s not just basic decency and more of something that he really is happy about. His boxy smile doesn’t waver even as Jongdae stays silent, stuck between the hallway and his door because he doesn’t want to look too rude to someone who’s moved in a few hours ago.

“It’s fine if you aren’t comfortable talking to me,” Baekhyun says easily. Jongdae almost envies how smoothly he saves what would have been a hopelessly awkward moment just like that. “But I’ll see you around?”

He manages just a short nod before he shuts the door behind himself, but the last thing he sees is Baekhyun’s ever bright smile crinkling up the corners of his eyes.

On the second day after his arrival, he goes around to everyone on their floor, offering rice cakes because - “It’s tradition, my dear neighbor! It’s technically from my friend, Kyungsoo - he’s great at cooking and baking, you see, and I begged him to help me make all this and it turned out great! Please take one!”

Jongdae does, after a moment of staring at Baekhyun’s eager expression. It tastes mildly sweet and has the perfect black bean filling.

 

 

  
Somehow, Jongdae manages to run into him every single fucking time he leaves his apartment - which isn’t much, to say the least - despite the sheer improbability of it happening even once. Does his neighbor live outside his room?

His conclusion - yes. And Jongdae doesn't think he'll ever get used to him.

He always greets Jongdae with the brightest smile Jongdae’s had directed at him in nearly a decade, not including Junmyeon’s cheerful grins over facetime. It’s unnerving. He hums in the halls and greets any other resident he sees outside, and there’s a small hanging plant right outside his door that also has the sign “ _Give a Little Sunshine”_ stuck within the dirt.

It surprises him day after day that there is suddenly be so much life and color in this dreary apartment Jongdae doesn’t even consider home. To hear bursts of excited noises from beyond the wall at random times of the day. To hear snippets of ballads or pop songs on the radio and his neighbor’s own voice joining in occasionally. Mostly it’s just so fucking unusual for the apartment to feel so lively.

He’ll go out on his balcony and see his neighbor looking out to the mountains with awe, even though they live in a country surrounded by them all the time. How Baekhyun finds joy in the most mundane things - Jongdae will never understand. And he always senses Jongdae’s eyes on him. Turns gently with his hair flowing about in the wind, then catches his gaze and smiles.

More often than not these days Jongdae falls asleep to a gentle lullaby - the first he’s heard since he was a child. It’s more soothing than he would ever admit.

 

 

  
Jongdae wakes to a familiar voice singing in the shower at - he groans and reaches blindly for his phone until he hits the first smooth surface he can find near his head - eight fucking AM.

His first thought is that this is fucking annoying. But getting past the initial, rather unwanted awakening, he thinks groggily that it sounds nice. Hitting the notes well with an effortless clarity that Jongdae appreciates despite being the reason he’d waken up far earlier than he planned. He sighs and sits up on his bed.

He won’t be able to fall back asleep, he knows that much for sure.

Turning off the alarm on his phone now that there’s no need for it, Jongdae yawns and heads over to the bathroom, the singing getting louder the closer he is. Maybe he should invest in better soundproof walls.

The moment he steps into the bathroom and turns on his faucet, his neighbor’s voice flitters down and then stops.

“Oh,” Baekhyun says from beyond the wall. “Wow, I can even hear your sink.”

Jongdae snorts around his toothbrush. Of course. South Korea’s apartments are all mostly high quality, but the few lying around for the cheapest prices have a low value for a reason.

“I’m sorry for all the noise this morning,” his neighbor continues. His speaking voice is also rather nice, Jongdae thinks, spitting out the paste. “By the way, your name is Kim Jongdae, right? Or was it Jeongdae? Jongin?”

Jongdae almost chokes. “How do you know?”

Baekhyun makes a happy little noise from the other side. Jongdae thinks it’s ridiculous, how the smallest thing can make him excited. “You spoke back! The ladies here were telling me stuff about you. They said a lot,” he sing-songs.

Fucking old ladies and their gossiping. They probably warned Baekhyun about him, how he never goes outside and keeps from any contact with other people. But Jongdae tries not to make much out of it. Baekhyun would have found out eventually - they are neighbors after all.

Letting the sink run, he rinses his mouth before toweling his face dry and grabbing the door handle. It feels uncharacteristically strange for him to leave the guy without saying something, and he ponders whether he should tell him goodbye. Just as he’s scoffing at himself though, Baekhyun calls out happily again.

“Have a nice day!”

Jongdae shuts the door.

 

 

  
"Hello, neighbor," Baekhyun says brightly when he notices Jongdae across their balconies. "What's brought you out on this wonderful day?"

He has a camera around his neck. If Jongdae thinks hard enough, he might recall Baekhyun telling him once between rushed words that he's a photographer. He tears his gaze away from the device and shrugs. "Evening breeze."

There isn't much of it but it's there, and Jongdae prays his lie was believable. In actuality, he'd had a terrible transaction with one of his clients, when they'd threatened to find out his identity and report him to the gangs they were affiliated with. He'd barely managed to shroud himself with codes and encryption before they could do so, and a little part of him had hoped that maybe he'd see Baekhyun out here. Baekhyun, somehow, made every day a little better. Made it just a little easier to smile.

"Ehh," Baekhyun whines, "so it wasn't to see my beautiful face?"

Jongdae raises his brows. "I will leave right now."

At the empty words, Baekhyun panics, leaning over the rail. "No, don't go! It's been like, a week since I've seen you!"

Really, it's only been four days. Two if Jongdae counts the brief wave and hello from the day before. But he hides a smile and settles back to watch the sunset, peaking beyond the mountains and fading away as the sky drips dark blue into pink and red. "I'm joking, Baekhyun."

From his peripheral vision, he sees Baekhyun pouting, sticking his bottom lip out adorably. He turns from Jongdae with a huff. "You're so mean to me."

Jongdae bites back a laugh. They fall into a comfortable silence, broken only by the occasional snap from Baekhyun's camera on Jongdae's left. At one point, he turns to see Baekhyun pointing the lens at him. Jongdae sputters.

"Baekhyun, what - wait what are you doing?"

Lowering the camera, Baekhyun looks down at the recent picture and smiles. He looks beautiful, the last rays of the sun catching the side of his face and bringing a glow to his eyes. Jongdae forgets to breathe.

"Revenge for teasing me so much," Baekhyun says, grinning and waving the camera in the air. "You looked so good there, I just had to take a picture."

He can feel a flush traveling up his neck but he hopes it's not visible under the lurid sunset. His mouth opens and closes a few times, not knowing what to say, and Baekhyun frowns after a moment.

"If you really want, I can delete these. They were taken without telling you after all."

"No it's," Jongdae pauses. He doesn't know why he's letting Baekhyun keep the pictures. He's not photogenic at all, but Baekhyun seems to disagree as he flicks through the pictures and squeals. His resolve weakens and dissolves. "You can keep them," he sighs.

Baekhyun laughs, loud and bright and absolutely delighted. "I'm going to frame these!"

Jongdae muffles a groan into his arms.

The pictures are offered to be sent with a sly request for Jongdae’s phone number, and Baekhyun whoops when Jongdae hands over his cell with a long, suffering sigh. His phone dings almost immediately after Baekhyun hands it back, popping up into his notifications. Jongdae almost bursts out laughing when he sees Baekhyun’s ID, incredulous.

_Baekyoong 'ㅅ' sent you a message!_

Baekyoong 'ㅅ' (7:34) _hello, neighbor_

Jongdae tries not to stare at Baekhyun’s lips and ignores the thought that the mouths are exactly the same.

 

 

  
Little trips to the supermarket, walks in the park, balcony talks late at night - the small meetings with Baekhyun manage to pile up into a precious collection of memories that Jongdae keeps tucked somewhere in the back of his heart, not paying attention to the terrifying flutters in his chest when he thinks of the man.

Baekhyun is bright and wondrous. Everything he does is like sunshine, the first rays that peak above the mountains Korea is so full of, the calm warmth that leaks through cracks in the windows, the overwhelming brightness on the height of summer, the beautiful serenity of sunsets. They’re everyday sights, mundane enough to most people that they don’t care much for them anymore, but Baekhyun manages to make it all feel so new, like every day he’s waking up to a different sun, small changes despite the familiarity.

 

 

  
In hindsight, Jongdae hadn’t actually been planning to tell Baekhyun about his… occupation, if you could even call it that, at the time that he did. It wasn’t even really his fault in the first place - Baekhyun had barged into his apartment room without warning, asking if Jongdae had any superglue, and subsequently caught him smack in the middle of a transaction, his five or six computers surrounding him and monitors turned on above his desk.

The sight had made Baekhyun speechless, and Jongdae would have laughed in any other situation. He’d never seen Baekhyun so shocked before, mouth hanging open and his eyes wide with curiosity, confusion, and wonder.

Baekhyun, thank his soul, doesn’t bring it up until hours later.

 

(12:34) _its 1234 make a wish_

(12:36) **????**

(12:36)  _ahhhhh u missed ittt_  
(12:36)  _if u make a wish at 1234 its supposed to come tru_

(12:37) **You believe in those things?**  
(12:37) **Did you make a wish?**

(12:37)  _yes_  
(12:37) _yes i did_  
(12:37) _if i tell u will u make it come tru_

(12:37) **Isn’t there a thing about not telling anyone what your wish is?**

(12:37) _but jongdaeee_  
(12:37)  _will u really not tell me what u were doing before_

(12:37) **Since you told me what your wish is I now have no obligation to grant it.**

(12:37) _:((((_  
(12:37) _i mean it’s fine but can i guess_  
(12:38) _are u like_  
(12:38) _an fbi agent_  
(12:38) _thats kinda hot ngl_  
(12:38)  _ooh are u working for the gov_  
(12:38)  _or_    
(12:38) _laskjfaklsf_

(12:38) **Should I be concerned?**

(12:39)  _were you recreating an anime scene_  
(12:39) _i mean no judgement here but didnt think u were into cosplay_

(12:39)  **Oh my God Baekhyun stop**  
(12:39)  **I wasn’t doing anything of the sort**

(12:41)  _look im a curious soul_

(12:43)  **Be less curious, please.**

(12:43)  _ouch_.   
(12:43)  _my heart_

(12:45)  **I’m a hacker, Baekhyun.**  
(12:45) **I’m surprised you didn’t guess that first.**  
(12:45) **I didn’t want to tell you because it goes against the privacy and anonymity hackers normally stick with.**

(12:45)  _well that’s still kinda hot_

Jongdae laughs in disbelief.

(12:46)  **A hacker. You realize the job description also comes with criminals and undercover agents, right?**

(12:49)  _jongdae_  
(12:49) _is that why u dont like socializing_  
(12:49)  _bc u saw the worst in ppl_

(12:54)  _srry did i go too far_  
(12:54) _u dont have to answer_

(12:57)  **No, it’s just**  
(12:57) **You’re right.**    
(12:57)  **I’ve just seen too much to trust that people will be what they say they are.**

(12:57)  _oh_  
(12:57) _i mean i get that_  
(12:53)  _but_  
(12:54)  _give it time_  
(12:54)  _im sure youll meet other wonderful ppl_  
(12:54)  _i am_    
(12:54) _a great example_  
(12:54)  _of one such fine specimen_

  
Jongdae snorts. He's so - relieved, and he recognizes that it's because he'd been afraid, scared of what Baekhyun's reaction would be if he found out. Because for some reason, Baekhyun is just that important to him now. He sends back a sarcastic  _sure_  and watches as another response dings into his app, a moving emoji that smirks and raises a brow at him and Jongdae hates that he can  _see_  Baekhyun doing this in real life.

His computer lies on the foot of his bed, forgotten, and he falls asleep with his phone in his hands.

 

 

  
Baekhyun manages to convince Jongdae to meet Kyungsoo somehow.

“He won't admit it but he's really curious about you,” Baekhyun had said excitedly, eyes shining and hopeful. “And he's my best friend, I promise he isn't that bad, Jongdae please? He'll love you!”

 _If he won’t admit it, maybe he isn’t curious_ , Jongdae had been tempted to say, but Baekhyun’s energy had drained any resistance from him and he’d let Baekhyun chatter on about how Kyungsoo was going to be so happy to finally meet him.

At the least, Baekhyun had sounded confident of this. Jongdae on the other hand, is half paranoid that he'll ruin everything and all his chances of being even remotely accepted by Kyungsoo, and the working half of his brain has to remind him of Baekhyun’s sweet, reassuring smile to make Jongdae relax enough to breathe again. It’s really been way too long since he’s had proper human interaction, he thinks, and then wonders if Junmyeon would rejoice at the fact that he’d acknowledged this of his own will.

But his carefully crafted greetings and rehearsals of what to say fly out of his mind when he actually sees Kyungsoo and Baekhyun at the café they had agreed on, sitting by the window table. It seems as though Baekhyun is busy talking to Kyungsoo but the boy he's chattering at is - in one word - dark. And intimidating. And squinty behind his glasses. And scary as all hell.

A part of Jongdae dies inside and he considers walking right back the way he'd come from, but it's at that moment Baekhyun looks up and notices him, his smile brightening as his eyes crinkle up into crescents and Jongdae is too weak to that expression. It’s what gets him trudging across the street and stepping, feet slow and heart heavy, into the table Baekhyun had claimed.

God he hopes his hair isn’t a mess. He hopes he doesn’t look suspicious. He hopes he looks good enough for Baekhyun because Lord knows - if he was Baekhyun’s best friend he would do anything to protect his smiles and optimism and energy.

Kyungsoo looks up from under his glasses and blinks a few times before smiling slightly, and the gesture has Jongdae’s eyes widening in surprise. Baekhyun, clearly, is also taken aback.

“Kyungsoo? Kyungsoo-yah you  _smiled_ ,” Baekhyun stutters, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile at someone you’ve just met -”

“Oh shut up,” Kyungsoo says, his smile growing. “It’s just funny to see you two so nervous because of me.”

At Jongdae and Baekhyun’s silence, Kyungsoo huffs out a laugh and reaches out with a hand. “Nice to meet you, Jongdae,” he says. His voice is really nice, Jongdae thinks belatedly. “My name is Do Kyungsoo, but I’m pretty sure you’re familiar with that.”

The introduction breaks Jongdae out of his stupor, and he tries to smile back at Kyungsoo. “Yeah, Baekhyun always tells me about you. It’s nice to meet you too.”

 

 

  
“You’re so cute,” Baekhyun slurs, and the tall boy holding him looks at Jongdae apologetically.

“Sorry,” the boy says, voice soft despite his tough figure, lean muscle and misleading sharpness in his eyes. Jongdae thinks he hears a hint of a lisp in his words somewhere. “Hyung can’t handle alcohol for shit. I think he forgot what his passcode was.”

Oh, so that’s why he’s standing here instead, in front of Jongdae’s apartment, clinging to the boy as he muffles a song into his shirt. Jongdae blinks. “Ah.”

The boy doesn’t bother smiling as he reaches his free hand out. “Are you Jongdae? My name is Sehun. Baekhyun-hyung talks about you a lot.”

“Yeah, yeah I am.” Jongdae’s met and heard about more people the past few months because of Baekhyun than during his entire college career. At least, it feels that way. “Nice to meet you.”

Sehun doesn’t have the chance to say anything else, however, as Baekhyun launches himself from the taller boy into Jongdae’s arms. Jongdae barely manages to keep from toppling backwards. “Jongdae-yah,” Baekhyun whines, sniffling a little. “I’m so - I’m so tired. Why am I tired? Am I in my room?”

There’s a small, amused smile on Sehun’s face as he watches them. “Well, if you’ve got this covered, I still need to drive some of my other idiot hyungs home,” Sehun says. Jongdae doesn’t have a chance to stop him as Sehun flits away. “Thanks, bye!”

It takes much more effort than it should have, but Jongdae gets Baekhyun to brush his teeth and drink a cup of water before changing into a clean shirt, and Baekhyun flops onto his couch as soon as he’s done. “Your pillows are so soft,” he muffles into one of said pillows, rubbing his face into them. Jongdae sighs and kneels in front of the couch, turning on the TV for some background noise.

“Yeah? You wanna stay here tonight?”

Jongdae doubts Baekhyun would be able to make it into his own apartment anyway. He leans back against the bottom of the couch and tries to focus on the midnight cartoons, but warm breath against his neck makes him freeze up, mind malfunctioning.

“You,” Baekhyun falters for a second, cheek pressed against Jongdae’s shirt. “You’re so dense it’s so frustrating. But I - I’m glad I met you. Please don’t leave.”

Jongdae forces his heart rate to slow down to normal, sure that if Baekhyun hadn’t been this drunk, he’d also be able to hear just how loudly it was thumping against his chest. He relaxes his shoulders when Baekhyun slumps into the pillows again.

“I’m not leaving,” he says softly.

 

 

  
Jongdae loves storms.

Especially thunderstorms, the ones that boom all day during the summer and leave the rain splattering against his window. The one raging outside had come without warning, left out of the forecasts and betraying the cloudless sky of the morning just hours ago. It had forced Jongdae to run from where he’d been in the living room to close the glass windows on his balcony to protect the fluffy little chair and the paperback books on the circular table.

He’s sitting in the middle of it now, looking up to the glass tops of the balcony straight towards the heavens. The rain keeps coming. He can’t remember the last time he’d been like this, just enjoying the weather the way he used to as a child. Can’t remember the last time he’d been struck by wonder at the mere sight of the large, clear drops running down the window-panes. He breathes out shakily.

He can’t remember the last time he’d been so  _content_.

A small vibration in his left pocket startles him out of his daze and he looks down, a small smile flitting across his lips when he sees the newest notification. It’s Baekhyun, asking if he can come over. Jongdae texts him that he’s on the balcony, almost standing up to go greet him at the door, too, until he realizes that Baekhyun knows the password to his apartment now and doesn’t need him to get in anymore. He wonders how they’d gotten so close.

When Baekhyun arrives just minutes later, he’s holding a small bowl of strawberries, already chewing one as he offers it out to Jongdae. A little of the juice is on his lips, shining red, and Jongdae wants to wipe it off. He settles for giving Baekhyun a tissue instead and watches him get comfortable on the floor beside him, leaning against the glass doors.

“What’re you doing out here?”  


The words are garbled through the strawberries, but Jongdae understands.

“The storm,” he says quietly. Overhead, a loud clap of thunder is accompanied by flashes of lightning somewhere far away. “I like watching thunderstorms. It’s been a while since I’ve just enjoyed one.”

Their shoulders are touching, barely, but then Baekhyun leans fully against him, and Jongdae can’t make himself push him away. The strawberries are shared and finished, and the rain continues.

“Can I ask you something?” Jongdae asks, when the rain has quieted slightly. Baekhyun smiles.

“Of course.”

Jongdae can swear he had an actual question in mind. But he stares at Baekhyun for a moment, wondering, “How are you so bright all the time?” and the question slips through before Jongdae can fully realize that he’d said it aloud. Fuck. It takes Baekhyun by surprise too, if his silence and wide eyes are anything to go by. Jongdae’s just about to start panicking when Baekhyun starts laughing.

He can feel the rumbles of Baekhyun’s laughter through his own chest, the sound so familiar, so relaxing. Baekhyun’s eyes are amused when he turns back to Jongdae.

“You mean my personality?” Baekhyun asks, and Jongdae nods awkwardly. Baekhyun’s smile grows a little softer. “Relax, Jongdae, I get that question a lot.”

Leaning his head back slightly, Baekhyun looks into the rain. The splattering creates small droplets of water on the windows until they fall down and gather at the bottom, clear distortions of the images beyond them. “I don’t know, really. I think I’d been like this since I was a child. I mean, there were times I hit rough patches or I also lost my patience with things, but I always tried to find the positives.”

And Jongdae can’t imagine Baekhyun losing his patience with anything. He’s so _natural_ , like he’s meant to fit between the spaces of anything, born with a talent for making people comfortable around him, born just this lovable.

“I got into photography when I was in middle school,” Baekhyun continues, voice a smaller. “I’d always loved pictures but I’d never known the mechanics behind their creations, and it took a while to learn. And photography - it isn’t just magnificence, you know? The pictures you see online are made to look beautiful, but in real life, you need to find the smaller details. The sights that normal people would look over. It helped me find more beauty in everything. It reminds me every day how beautiful the sunrise is, how pretty the flowers are, no matter how common it might seem.”

The rain is a soft drizzle now, none of the pouring, rushing tides from before. Baekhyun glances down at his phone and stands, going towards the railing.

“You want to open the windows? I think the rain’s going to stop soon.”

He smiles a little and opens them wide when Jongdae nods, leaning out to catch a few drops on his tongue before sitting back down next to Jongdae.

“You’re very inspiring,” Jongdae says after a moment, and Baekhyun jerks in surprise.

“Me?” His wide eyes melt into soft half-moons with his smile at Jongdae’s flustered words. “Thank you.”

“Not everyone can remind themselves to be grateful about things the way you are,” Jongdae shrugs. “I find that impressive in itself.”

They sit in comfortable silence for a while. The clouds are starting to disperse now that their show is over, rolling away in gentle waves across the night sky. They leave behind a milky way of constellations and the soft, cool breeze that signals the end of a summer rain.

"I'm glad I met you," Jongdae says sometime later. Baekhyun hops up beside him and reaches out with a hand, smiling beautifully. At that moment, Jongdae feels so light, like he's floating somewhere beyond the actual world. There's only Baekhyun, his smile, his eyes as he looks down at Jongdae as if he's the only thing on earth.

"Me too."

 

   


  
It’s a rather innocuous day when Baekhyun calls Jongdae to ask if he can drop in.

And that alone sets alarms off in Jongdae’s head. Nevermind that Baekhyun doesn’t bother asking to come over anymore, something about Baekhyun’s tone, the way some of his words quivered, coupled with the fact that Baekhyun almost never calls, he sticks to texting or talking in real life - it makes Jongdae nervous, that maybe something is wrong.

So he paces in his small living room, texting to ask Baekhyun if he’s alright and getting a curt, _I'm just tired._  He’s almost expecting it when Baekhyun falls into his chest as soon as he opens the door.

“Whoa, whoa there,” Jongdae says, catching him gently. Baekhyun sags in his arms. “Are you okay?”

Looking up, Baekhyun blinks slowly, and Jongdae wills his face not to show too much of his emotions. “I,” Baekhyun frowns. “It’s not a big deal, really, it’s just,” he sighs. “One of those days. I’m just so tired and I feel terrible and I don’t know why.”

“Have you eaten yet?”

A hand still on Baekhyun’s waist, Jongdae leads him into the living room, and Baekhyun falls into his couch as soon as he’s close enough. He might as well have claimed it as his spot in Jongdae's apartment. “Yeah, an hour ago.”

Jongdae stares at the lump on his couch and runs a hand through his hair. “Anything you want to do in particular?”

The lump stays silent for a minute. “No, just.” Baekhyun’s face peeks out from behind one of his pillows and despite himself, Jongdae finds himself wishing he could take a picture. “Stay with me?”

This is too reminiscent of the day Sehun had dumped Baekhyun drunk and out of his mind onto Jongdae before running away. He chuckles at the memory and sits down in front of Baekhyun, turning on the TV again.

Baekhyun makes a noise of happiness when he switches to the cartoons. Jongdae is so stupidly gone for him.

 

   


  
They’ve drifted into a state comfortability that goes beyond simple friendship.

Jongdae will wake up in the middle of the night to see that the door to his balcony is open, that Baekhyun is standing there looking up at the stars even though he has a balcony of his own. Their conversations range from two or three words to hours and hours of rants to each other and Jongdae’s never felt more at peace with anyone before, wonders if he’s handling all this correctly.

Today is one of the days where they’ve barely spoken for the past few hours. Usually this means that they’ll either separate quietly, or start talking about the most random things in a few minutes. He doesn’t mind that he won’t know until they do one of the two, likes the spontaneity being with Baekhyun brings.

“Jongdae?”

Seems like it'll be the latter.

It’s right after a summer storm. That, too, had become a tradition of sorts for them - with Baekhyun coming over to sit beside Jongdae under the glass walls of his balcony and look out at the rain with him whenever he could.

Jongdae is leaning out the rails to try getting more of the cool breeze that’s flowing around them. Cool nights are becoming rarer now that they’re reaching the hottest of summer, sweltering heat in the daytime that leaves Jongdae no choice but to rely on AC to keep him alive and sane and not a melted puddle of a human being. Baekhyun, meanwhile, is sitting in the fluffy chair Jongdae so covets as he hums a gentle melody. Jongdae had found quickly that Baekhyun gets cold easily, doesn’t mind the warmth as much as most other people. Still, he doesn’t complain if he’s the one crashing over at Jongdae’s for the night, compensating for the cold by wrapping himself up in a burrito of blankets.

Jongdae would be lying if he said he doesn’t have a picture of that.

“I'm so happy right now," Baekhyun says, voice low and content. He lets out breathy laughter the next moment, and even though Jongdae has his back turned, he can imagine Baekhyun’s expression, warm and open and tender curves making up a smile. “You know, when I was younger I thought I’d be some kind of singer.”

With Baekhyun’s looks and talent for singing, Jongdae can certainly see it. He says as much.

“Ah, ah,” Baekhyun tuts, and Jongdae hears his voice get louder, feels his presence next to him when Baekhyun leans over the metal bars as well. “Don’t act like you wouldn’t have been. I’ve heard you sing, it’s amazing.”

Jongdae rolls his eyes. “But me? A singer? Tight pants and heavy eyeliner?”

Baekhyun smothers a laugh. “That’s true. Maybe in another life. Or maybe we would have been idols. Part of the same group.”

“Yeah?” Jongdae turns and freezes. Baekhyun’s face is just centimeters in front of his own, his dewy cheeks plush with his smile, eyes sparkling even in the dark blue of the night, shining with the white freckles in the sky. His voice falters. “Baekhyun?”

"Do you believe in fate?” Baekhyun asks, not seeming to care in the slightest that he’s making Jongdae's mind go haywire, that Jongdae’s focusing less on his words and more on his features, the smooth glow of his skin, lashes fluttering against his cheeks and lips a soft pink. Jongdae wonders if Baekhyun even knows what kind of effect he has, how dazzling he is, how beautiful. “How people meet or separate, and if that’s all something aligned by some higher power.”

It takes everything in him to gather his thoughts enough to string a sentence together. “I’ve never really thought about that.”

Baekhyun steps closer and Jongdae can’t breathe. His eyes are crescents, the way they always turn up when he smiles, his breath sweet against Jongdae’s lips. Everything about him is overwhelming in its own right, filling each one of Jongdae’s senses and leaving him desperate for more, even if it ends up drowning him.

He looks into Baekhyun’s eyes and can’t turn away.

There’s a question in that gaze, alight with all the possibilities and hidden stars of the universe. He wants. Wants the answer, wants everything in between. Jongdae's hands shake with his nerves as he reaches out, wondering if he can dare touch this beautiful, ethereal person, who had grasped onto him and pulled him from this dreary, meaningless world and into the brightness he’d forgotten existed. And Baekhyun is just as nervous, just as wavering as he leans his cheek into Jongdae's palm. Jongdae is entranced.

“I do.” Baekhyun’s voice is a mere whisper now, puffs of air around syllables that Jongdae fears he won’t be able to catch if he isn’t fast enough. “And I wonder every day why I meet the people in my life, but I think - I figured out what I want with you.”

Jongdae is afraid. Afraid that he’s reading this wrong, afraid of what this means, what it will lead to. Whether they will break apart inevitably, but he isn’t coherent enough to think of consequences right now.

Lips touch his, delicate and fragile. Baekhyun’s hand grips onto Jongdae’s shirt, faltering breaths that taste like sweet strawberries against his mouth. Jongdae pulls him closer and it’s not enough, not enough even as Baekhyun presses into him and makes a soft sound, as he curls his fingers against the nape of Baekhyun’s neck.

Every memory is a burning light behind his lids, under his fingertips, sparking with the flames Baekhyun manages to bring with him wherever he goes. Jongdae's fingers dance on Baekhyun's waist, splay out on the warmth lingering beneath his thin shirt, staying there even as they pull apart hesitantly, not really wanting to break contact. Baekhyun smiles at him. It's a tiny little smile, like he holds all the secrets in all the lands and seas, like he sees something Jongdae doesn’t.

He looks absolutely radiant, and Jongdae swallows under his heavy gaze.

“I want to know more about you,” Baekhyun says, breathless. “I’m not the best at this kind of relationship, but I want, I want to learn. With you. If you’ll let me?”

Jongdae knows himself enough to recognize that his voice will give up on him if he tries to speak. So he brings Baekhyun into another kiss, slower, surer, and keeps Baekhyun in his arms when they part.

Baekhyun is sunshine, but he’s everything else, the gentle rolling of the waves during low tide, the shimmering of the moon when he’s most quiet, hushed whispers between sky and ocean and land, the lively green of the forests and distant city lights as they shine up into the world. Jongdae realizes that for the first time, he is re-learning what it means to live.

“Yes.”  


   


   


**Author's Note:**

> sooo this was all rushed and done mostly last-minute, but i hope you enjoyed reading jongdae and baekhyun as they got to know each other throughout the few months as neighbors. 
> 
> it was my first time writing baekchen but i think it turned out better than i expected? comments and feedback are all welcome.
> 
> and according to my friend, i am obligated by law to do this, so -
> 
> "Me? Tight pants and heavy eyeliner?"
> 
> tight pants and heavy eyeliner?
> 
>  
> 
> _tight pants and heavy eyeliner?_
> 
>  
> 
> [ tight pants and heavy eyeliner? ](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/843932417651945888/)


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